Tonga, Fiji Break Through

Trial Shipment to Japan

On The Banana Front

On a short visit to Apia towards the end of April, ge tting Prime Minister of Tonga, Prince Tungi, shook local ficials out of their lethargy by the announcement that Tongan ;ents in Japan had secured a licence to import into Japan manas from Tonga up to a total worth per annum of 7,000,000. (See May PIM, p. 132.)

T although public interest was

roused, the official attitude ed to be one of “wait and see”, as claimed, amongst other things, Japan was interested in Pacific nas only on a short-term basis that once the Formosan planta had recovered from recent cane damage, the Tongan and n deals would be forgotten, le Apia newspaper hinted editori and darkly that this sudden Jap ; interest in bananas could be ttempt to do economically what lese military forces could not n 1942-45—that is, take over •outh Pacific. ere were other references to t using bananas as bait for more g concessions. e opinion seemed to be that it better to stick to the market >a knew—New Zealand—than it by playing in Japan’s back

ince Tungi appeared unim-

pressed. The bananas, he said, are to be shipped in the bunch, instead of in the traditional cases as to NZ, at a price of 3 cents a lb f.o.b.

Nukualofa.

He said that with the average bunch of six hands weighing about 60 lb, which is the standard bunch to be shipped, this will leave for the producer about 15/- a bunch. The first trial shipment of 7,500 bunches left Nukualofa by the Port Montreal early May. Advising on internal transportation and stowage aboard ship of bananas on the bunch were two Japanese from the Japanese Banana Wholesalers’ Association and two from the Japanese firm repre senting the Tongan Government.

“It is very likely that the Tonga Produce Board will not be able to ship all the bananas for which the licence has been granted, and investi gations are being made into the pos sibility of other territories, such as Fiji and Western Samoa, participat ing in the Japanese trade under the Tonga licence,” said Prince Tungi.

He said that he had already had discussions with Prime Minister Mataafa on the subject and as a result Department of Agriculture officer Toaolamai Semisi accompanied Prince Tungi back to Tonga on the Hifofua to observe the trial shipment and to help gauge the extent to which Samoa might be able to par ticipate in the new market.

“In future it is likely that none of the three territories of Tonga, Fiji and Western Samoa will be entirely dependent on the New Zealand market for the sale of their bananas,” said Prince Tungi, who has frequently expressed concern over cuts in the allocation of Tongan bananas to New Zealand.

Fiji Sends Development

Commissioner to Japan If Samoa was reluctant to go in with Tonga, Fiji was not. As reported in May PIM, there had already been some negotiations behind the scenes before Prince Tungi broke his news

to the Pacific banana world —the only matter at disagreement appeared to be the price at which the bananas would be sold to Japan. Fiji, in April was entertaining the idea that Tungi had somehow managed to undercut Fiji on a previously agreed price.

But in any case, 10 bunches of the Fiji variety also went to Japan on the same shipment from Tonga, after being airfreighted from Suva to Nukualofa. Fiji Agricultural De partment officials also went across to see them loaded.

Samples of Fiji bananas had been sent to Japan by air in the past, and were the subject of favourable com ment. However, the Japanese buyers wanted to see how the bananas would travel by sea, so the miniature trial shipment was arranged in a hurry.

Early in May the Fiji Development Commissioner, Mr. Eric Bevington, and the manager of the Fiji Develop ment Company, Mr. G. I. Firmston- Williams, flew to Japan to get a first hand report on the condition of the bananas when they arrived. They also planned to have talks about opening up the possibility of a regular market for Fiji bananas in Japan.

Mr. Bevington said that if a market could be found in Japan for Fiji’s bananas he hoped that the Colony would be able to return to the days of 1914 when more than 1,000,000 bunches a year were shipped to Australia.

At present Fiji’s only market for bananas is New Zealand which has imposed quotas because of economic difficulties. (See “Co-’-nentary”, p. 21)

HE FALLEN: Following a recent ap the Chinese community in Rabaul efurbished this memorial to those se civilians captured by the Japanese ina and brought to Rabaul during [?]d War 11, where 636 of them died.

TO THE FALLEN: Rabaul resident and former Army nursing sister Mrs. Joan Herbert lays a wreath for the dead on the Rabaul cenotaph during the Anzac Day service on April 25.